Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

It has been one of those weeks. The 5 year old washing machine is throwing a nasty error code and refusing to drain until I unplug it for an hour or so and then try again on the final drain/spin. Not good. The troubleshooter says it is probably connected with the "board" (I'm thinking expensive computer part) and a sensor that attaches to it. I have a call in to the repair guy,and in the meantime it fails on about every load. One of these times unplugging it isn't going to solve the problem, and I'm going to have a real problem.

I still need to put the extra wire on the outside of the fences around the new pen and get the netting up. That was supposed to happen Sunday, but a combination of events prevented that happening, so I guess it will be another week. At least they are big orps, so they should be fairly safe. The funny part is that they actually LIKE hanging out in the coop. I suppose the windows make it bright and breezy inside for them.

Tomorrow I am cleaning the original coop (yuck). At least it is only once a year. I have a question. Why do we do the heavy cleaning in the coop in the fall (for those of us who do deep litter)? It seems like cleaning in the spring would make more sense. They spend less time in the coop in the summer so it would stay clean longer, and the heating from the deep litter would have a head start in the fall. Anyone?

I clean out my coops every 6 months, by then they really are smelling & needing cleaned out. I do it in the fall because I don't want to go into winter with dirty litter to start since the birds often have to stay in more due to snow or whatever. I also have way more birds than you, so it's necessary. I just keep adding more shavings or dry leaves & whatnot to add to the pile. If the chickens don't dig through it you also need to turn it over once in awhile.

 

[sharol]

I clean out my coops every 6 months, by then they really are smelling & needing cleaned out. I do it in the fall because I don't want to go into winter with dirty litter to start since the birds often have to stay in more due to snow or whatever. I also have way more birds than you, so it's necessary. I just keep adding more shavings or dry leaves & whatnot to add to the pile. If the chickens don't dig through it you also need to turn it over once in awhile.

I modify the DLM too. I pick up poo from under the roosts and on the ramps each morning and turn the shavings as needed. A fair percentage of the manure is collected that way. The disadvantage is that the shavings in the coop when I clean it out are not as "rich" in nutrients for a garden and have to compost longer to break down the wood chips. The advantage is that it doesn't get awful in there as quickly.

I think I'll try cleaning in the spring and see what it is like by September or October and then decide next year. The fall molt has created a feathery mess in there, but I think I could almost rake out the worst of the feathers if the litter wasn't too nasty in the fall.

Having too many birds in there for a couple of months really made a difference. I have to keep the numbers down.

I'd like to move the broodies and their little ones into the coop after it gets cleaned. I can rearrange it a bit to shake things up for everyone, so the little ones won't be the only focus of attention. Eventually they will be going to the new coop, so maybe I should move them there, but their moms haven't been in the new coop at all so it would be a trauma for them, too. It would be easier if their moms abandoned them -- then I could just put them in the new coop in the dark, turn off the timer on the light and check in on them in the morning. (I'm drifting, but sometimes just writing things down makes them clearer.)

 

[chicken danz]

A true deep litter method depends on leaving that poop in there. I have one chicken house that it works perfectly and it easily can go a year or longer before being cleaned out. I think the clue there being it has a natural wood floor. No OSB or linoleum of anything. The boards are like 2 X 8s or so and lay on the support boards under it and then the whole thing is raised about 8 inches off the ground. I'm sure there is some air flow between boards. The floor boards are painted to protect them from rot. I have a big vent on the East side that I leave open year round, south facing windows which are open in the summer, as well as a hardware cloth door that is always open in warm weather and wood door that I close in winter. I never shut the pop door either. The consequence is that there is plenty of air flow but the lumber it self , including the siding is all real lumber and does some insulating. Seems the poo and the shavings just break down into a fine powder that the chickens love to dust bath in and it never gets smelly in there. None of my other coops function like that at all. The one that is most similar has what is left of a linoleum floor in there and it looked nice initially but the shavings and the poop would get nasty. So I really believe there is something to be said for constant air flow and having windows on the south. I've got so many coops around here that I can sure tell the difference. Little by little though I am clearing them out.
Well I found out today I am having surgery a week from tomorrow. I guess I had it in my head I could still do a lot more than I will be allowed. Because of the location where the vertebrae that needs fused is, they have to fuse a second one. There's a space between all my old fusions and the one that needs attention now so they have to do the one between. I am told I won't be toting 50 pound bags of feed around for a minimum of 3 months. I was thinking maybe 6 weeks. I will be limited to lifting 10 pounds during that time. No driving for a few weeks and no tractors, lawnmowers or bobcats for at least 3 months. That last part really hurts me. I was planning on letting the Bobcat do work for me that I couldn't do. The doc says I can't be be jerked or bumped around.
Now I'm feeling panicked. I have so much more to do in one week. Plus I have to go get some xrays and labs and stuff this week so that means more time I'm not home working.

 

[sharol]

A true deep litter method depends on leaving that poop in there. I have one chicken house that it works perfectly and it easily can go a year or longer before being cleaned out. I think the clue there being it has a natural wood floor. No OSB or linoleum of anything. The boards are like 2 X 8s or so and lay on the support boards under it and then the whole thing is raised about 8 inches off the ground. I'm sure there is some air flow between boards. The floor boards are painted to protect them from rot. I have a big vent on the East side that I leave open year round, south facing windows which are open in the summer, as well as a hardware cloth door that is always open in warm weather and wood door that I close in winter. I never shut the pop door either. The consequence is that there is plenty of air flow but the lumber it self , including the siding is all real lumber and does some insulating. Seems the poo and the shavings just break down into a fine powder that the chickens love to dust bath in and it never gets smelly in there. None of my other coops function like that at all. The one that is most similar has what is left of a linoleum floor in there and it looked nice initially but the shavings and the poop would get nasty. So I really believe there is something to be said for constant air flow and having windows on the south. I've got so many coops around here that I can sure tell the difference. Little by little though I am clearing them out.
Well I found out today I am having surgery a week from tomorrow. I guess I had it in my head I could still do a lot more than I will be allowed. Because of the location where the vertebrae that needs fused is, they have to fuse a second one. There's a space between all my old fusions and the one that needs attention now so they have to do the one between. I am told I won't be toting 50 pound bags of feed around for a minimum of 3 months. I was thinking maybe 6 weeks. I will be limited to lifting 10 pounds during that time. No driving for a few weeks and no tractors, lawnmowers or bobcats for at least 3 months. That last part really hurts me. I was planning on letting the Bobcat do work for me that I couldn't do. The doc says I can't be be jerked or bumped around.
Now I'm feeling panicked. I have so much more to do in one week. Plus I have to go get some xrays and labs and stuff this week so that means more time I'm not home working.

Sounds like a serious change of lifestyle for a few months. You have to follow his orders or you won't heal right. That sounds traumatic to me. My thoughts will be with you.

Yes, true deep litter would be better. I tried it the first year, but I couldn't deal with the early stages of it. I know what you mean about the powder. I find that when I clean out the coop, and the birds love to dig down to it and dust bathe in it..

 

[Trish44]

A true deep litter method depends on leaving that poop in there. I have one chicken house that it works perfectly and it easily can go a year or longer before being cleaned out. I think the clue there being it has a natural wood floor. No OSB or linoleum of anything. The boards are like 2 X 8s or so and lay on the support boards under it and then the whole thing is raised about 8 inches off the ground. I'm sure there is some air flow between boards. The floor boards are painted to protect them from rot. I have a big vent on the East side that I leave open year round, south facing windows which are open in the summer, as well as a hardware cloth door that is always open in warm weather and wood door that I close in winter. I never shut the pop door either. The consequence is that there is plenty of air flow but the lumber it self , including the siding is all real lumber and does some insulating. Seems the poo and the shavings just break down into a fine powder that the chickens love to dust bath in and it never gets smelly in there. None of my other coops function like that at all. The one that is most similar has what is left of a linoleum floor in there and it looked nice initially but the shavings and the poop would get nasty. So I really believe there is something to be said for constant air flow and having windows on the south. I've got so many coops around here that I can sure tell the difference. Little by little though I am clearing them out.
Well I found out today I am having surgery a week from tomorrow. I guess I had it in my head I could still do a lot more than I will be allowed. Because of the location where the vertebrae that needs fused is, they have to fuse a second one. There's a space between all my old fusions and the one that needs attention now so they have to do the one between. I am told I won't be toting 50 pound bags of feed around for a minimum of 3 months. I was thinking maybe 6 weeks. I will be limited to lifting 10 pounds during that time. No driving for a few weeks and no tractors, lawnmowers or bobcats for at least 3 months. That last part really hurts me. I was planning on letting the Bobcat do work for me that I couldn't do. The doc says I can't be be jerked or bumped around.
Now I'm feeling panicked. I have so much more to do in one week. Plus I have to go get some xrays and labs and stuff this week so that means more time I'm not home working.

My coop works somewhat with the DLM, it breaks down to a degree but not like I wish it would. It gets pretty deep in there by spring so that's why I have to clean it in the fall. I have found a way to do it that isn't quite so bad, it's still work but there's no way around it. I leave windows open year round in my coop as well since it's not as ventilated as my breeder coop. The original coop is converted from a storage shed so I had to add a lot of windows & vents. I leave the south windows open all winter & the people door has a small window as well. I don't leave my pop door open though, it's an electric door on a timer.

Good wishes on your surgery Danz & speedy recovery. It doesn't sound like fun at all, but then no surgery is for sure. You take it easy & do what the Drs tell you. At least you have your building now & the auto water system, that will help a huge amount I think.

 

[TakenBackBre]

I've been busy. Pictured is the reason. It's a cute reason at least.

. I haven't been getting much done outside. The kids have been chipping in to fill the gap. I only skimmed but I wanted to say that I start my deep bedding in spring as well. If you keep it mixed up and keep adding new bedding there isn't a problem with smell. I throw some scratch on the floor of the coop 2-3 times a week and the chickens mix it up nicely. I have a cement floor in my egg layer coop so when I clean it out each spring I strip it down to the cement. Power wash it and then torch it. Then I lay down a layer of plain black dirt then the first layer of bedding. Usually wood chips all summer and then switch to straw for fall and winter

 

[chicken danz]

Glad you dropped in Bre. Been missing hearing from you.
I had such a long hard day today and didn't get nearly enough done. I did get the rest of the peafowl moved to the new pens. Then I spent the biggest part of the day cleaning out the incubating/ brooder area in the building. I really need to spray that building. I've never seen more spiders in my life.
I got it all cleaned out and moved the cage back in. Then moved the youngest peachicks in there and got them set up. They still need some warmth so I had to set up a sweeter heater. It would be awesome to get them sold before the weekend. I haven't had time to put up any adds though.
My one wing chicken wasn't feeling good this morning. She just wasn't acting herself. Well I found the reason. Her rug where she sleeps had a broken soft shell egg on it and then a regular egg. I fear the soft egg broke inside of her and she has egg peritonitis. Here I am again super attached to this sweet chicken. I called the vet who has gotten used to hearing from me when I have a bird problem. He knows nothing about birds but is willing to work with me when I tell him what is going on. I got him to prescribe some baytril so I can give her doses. It's about the only drug that has a chance of clearing the infection. I also have a rooster that hasn't responded to tylan so I am also starting to give him baytril for a few days. Each day I expect to loose him.
I've got to get these birds well this week. No one else would probably even notice anything was wrong unless they found a dead chicken. I don't want to be stressed out about my birds when I won't be able to go out and care for them.

 

[venymae]

Just received some local eggs to hatch yesterday! So excited! They are mutts - EE/B.Orpington and W.Leghorn/B.Orpington. We are finally starting to build our own little flock! I am thrilled!!! We also found out that this lady has cream legbars (and we like blue eggs!) so we might eventually get some eggs from those too. Not sure about quality of the breed, but we just want blue eggs so it doesn't matter to me!

 

[Trish44]

Well the snakes are coming out in force right now so watch out. Last week I saw a 6 ft long black snake coming from my hay barn & yesterday I was changing out water bowls & picked one up to find two snakes coiled underneath. I screamed like a little girl because I just hate snakes & they took off in opposite directions. I have no idea what kind of snakes they were but I imagine they were in there due to all of the mice I have seen out there in the pens this summer. Ugh I hate snakes!

There were a bunch of owls out last night two so I shut my ducks in so they couldn't get any more of those last night.

 

[DS17]

Hello! I am new to the chicken world as of May. I just found this thread! I live outside Wichita. My girls and boys free range all day. We just started getting eggs! Not all the girls are ready to start laying but can't wait till they do! I did end up with 2 more roosters than I need. If anyone needs one or knows of a good home for 6.5 month old cockrels, please let me know!!